LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



^%:^ 






Slielf.'.F.^6 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



\ 



THE 



ILLUSTRATED 



STMWBEPiEY CULTUPJST: 



CONTAINING THE 



HISTORY, SEXUALITY, FIELD AND GARDEN CULTURE OF STRAW- 

BERRIES, FO'RCING OR POT CULTURE, HOW TO 

GROW FROM SEED, HYBRIDIZING, 

AND ALL OTHER INFORMATION NECESSARY TO ENABLE EVERYBODY TO RAISE 

"THEIR OAVN STRAAVBERRIES; TOGETHER WITH A DESCRIPTION OF NEAV 

VARIETIES AND A LIST OF THE BEST OF THE OLD SORTS. 



FULLY ILLUSTRATED^ 

By ANDEEW S. FULLER. 



Author of the '"'Grape Culturist,"' '^ Small Fruit Culturist,'" ''Practical 
Forestry,'' Etc., Etc. 



^ 



X 



3? 




^^ 



, 'MAR 26 1887/ 

£f WASHING^ 



NEW YORK: 
0. JUDD CO., DAVID W. JUDD, Preset, 

751 BROADWAY, 

1887. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in tlie year 1887, by ttie 

O. JUDD CO., 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at "Washington. 



5*'^*'' 
^ ^-s^ 



PEBFACB. 

It is now twenty-five years since I wrote the first 
edition of the Strawberry Culturist. At that time 
but little attention had been paid to the cultivation of 
this best of all berries, and, with the exception of an oc- 
casional basket or crate of the Hovey and Wilson, New 
York markets were mostly supplied with the little Crim- 
son Cone and Scotch Runner raised in New Jersey. 

From time to time new varieties had been intro- 
duced at home and from abroad, and by copying all the 
names found in both European and American nursery- 
men^s catalogues, I was enabled to make a list of nearly 
five hundred varieties, of which only a few survive. 
Among these may be named the Hovey, Wilson, Trioni- 
phe de Grand, Lennig's White, Downer's Prolific and the 
Monthly Alpines, but, with one or two exceptions, these 
are very sparingly cultivated. The others have been dis- 
carded for inferiority of size or flavor, lack of produc- 
tiveness, want of adaptability to a wide range of climate 
and soils, or for other good and sufficient reasons, and 
their places have been filled by varieties supposed to be 
better, and in such numbers as to confuse seekers after 
the best. But which is or are the best of all the varieties 
known would be a difficult question to answer ; for the 
one that gives entire satisfaction in one section often 
proves a failure in another, and only experiments or 
close observation will teach one how to choose. Much 
credit is certainly due to those who have aided in pro- 
ducing new varieties, but the perfect Strawberry, equally 



4 PREFACE. 

well adapted to all kinds of soils and climates has not as 
yet appeared in cultivation. 

During the last quarter of a century botanists have 
somewhat changed their ideas in regard to the number 
and distribution of the species of the Strawberry, and 
while this may be of no especial importance to the prac- 
tical cultivator of this fruit, still I have arranged the 
species to conform to the more recent discoveries of our 
botanists. 

As regards the culture of the Strawberry I find little 
to change and less to add. In writing the Strawberry 
CuLTURiST (my first attempt at book making) I aimed 
to give the public the result of my practical experience 
in plain words. I have since that time experimented 
largely, but have learned nothing that induces me to 
change materially the directions therein given. 

This little treatise has been re-written to su25|)ly a 

want of the present generation, and, with the hope that 

it will serve as did its predecessor to stimulate its readers 

in renewed efforts to produce the best of Berries and in 

the greatest abundance, I send it forth on its humble 

mission. 

Andrew S. Fuller. 

EiDGEWOOD, K. J., Jan., 1887. 



THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 



THE STRAWBEREY. 

A genus of low .perennial stemless herbs with run- 
ners, and leaves divided into three leaflets ; calyx open 
and flat ; joetals five, white ; stamens ten to twenty, 
sometimes more ; j^istils numerous, crowded upon a cone- 
like head in the center of the flower. Seeds naked on 
the surface of an enlarged pulpy receptacle called the 
fruit. 

The Strawberry belongs to the great Rose family, and 
the name of the genus is Fragaria, from the Latin Fraga, 
its ancient name. The French name of the strawberry 
is Fraisier ; German, Erdbeerjjjlanze ; Italian, Planta 
di fragola ; Dutch, Aadhezie ; Spanish, Freza. The 
South American Spania-rds call the wild Strawberries of 
the countrv, Frutila. 

The well-known unstable character of the species 
makes it rather difficult to determine the limit of varia- 
tion, but the following classification is in accord with 
the experience of practical cultivators of the Strawberry 
as well as with the more recent arrangement of the spe- 
cies in botanical works. 

Fragaria vesca. — The common wild Strawberry of 

Europe, including both the White and Red Wood, also 

the annual and Monthly Alpine Strawberries. Of the 

latter there are varieties with both white and red fruit, 

5 



6 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

growing in stools or clumps producing no runners^ or 
very sparingly. This species is also indigenous to North 
America and found plentifully in our more northern 
States, and westward to the Rocky Mountains, where it 
grows in the more elevated and cooler regions. The 
plants are slender, with thin, often pale-green leaflets ; 
fruit small, oval, oblong, or sharp pointed ; seeds quite 
prominent, never depressed. 

Fragaria Californica. — A low-growing species 
closely allied to the F. vesca, but thought to be specifi- 
cally distinct by some botanists. The entire plant cov- 
ered with spreading hairs ; leaves rather thin, wedge- 
shape and broadest at the tip. Flowers, small white ; 
calyx shorter than the petals, and often toothed or cleft ; 
fruit small, and seed as in vesca. On the hills and moun- 
tains of California and in northern Mexico. There are 
no varieties of this species in cultivation. 

Fra^aria Tirginiana. — The Wild Strawberry of 
the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Plant, 
with few or numerous scattering hairs ; upper surface 
of leaves often very dark green and shining, also very 
large, thick, coarsely toothed. FJowers, white, in clusters 
on erect scapes. Fruit red or scarlet, often with long 
neck ; seeds in shallow or deep pits on the surface of the 
receptacle. This species is the parent of an immense 
number of varieties, like the Wilson, Boston Pine, Early 
Scarlet, &c. 

Variety. — Illinoeiisis is found in the rich soils of the 
Western States and is a larger and coarser growing 
plant, more villous or hairy than the species, and the 
fruit is usually of a lighter color. Some of the most 
popular varieties in cultivation are descended from this 
indigenous western variety, such as the Charles Downing, 
Downer's Prolific, &c. 



THE STRAWBERRY. 7 

Fragaria Cliiliensis.— A widely distributed species, 
especially on the west coast of America, where it is found 
from Alaska on the north, southward to California, and 
thence to Chili and other countries in South America. 
It is usually a low-growing, spreading plant with large 
thick cuneate, obovate leaflets, smooth and shining 
above ; with silky appressed hairs underneath. Fruit 
stalks yery stout ; flowers white, large, often more than 
an inch in diameter and with five to seven petals. For- 
merly these large flowered varieties from South America 
were supposed to belong to a distinct species — the F. 
grandiflora, or Great-Flowering Strawberry ; but more 
recent investigation has shown that all belong to the one 
species, viz., F. GMUensis. This species is the parent 
of the most noted European varieties, some of which have 
long been cultivated in this country, but the varieties of 
the Virginian and Chili Strawberry have become so in- 
termingled by crossing that it is now scarcely possible 
to trace their parentage. 

Fragaria Indica. — A small species from Upper In- 
dia, with yellow flowers, and small red, rather tasteless 
fruit. Often cultivated as a curiosity and ornament, as 
the plants bear continuously through the summer and 
autumn. 

Fragaria elatior. — Hautbois or High wood Straw- 
berry. Indigenous to Europe, princi|)ally in Germany. 
Plants tall growing ; fruit usually elevated above the 
leaves, and the calyx strongly reflexed ; petals small, 
white ; fruit brownish, pale red, sometimes greenish, 
with a strong musky, and, to most persons, a disagree- 
able flavor. Only sparingly cultivated. The plants are 
inclined to be dioecious, i. e., the two sexes on different 
plants, even in their wild state. 



8 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

HISTORY OF THE STRAWBERRY. 

How the name of Strawberry came to be applied to 
this fruit is unknown, as the old authors do not agree ; 
some asserting that it was given it because children used 
to string them upon straws to sell, while others say that 
it took its name from the fact of straw being placed 
around the plants in order to keep the fruit clean. Its 
name may not have been derived from either of these, 
but from the appearance of the plant ; for when the 
ground is covered with its runners, they certainly have 
much of the appearance of straw being spread over the 
ground. We have found nothing conclusive on this 
point. 

The Strawberry does not appear to have been culti- 
vated by the ancients, or even by the Romans, for it is 
scarcely mentioned by any of their writers, and then not 
in connection with the cultivated fruits or vegetables. 
Virgil mentions it only when warning the shepherds 
against the concealed adder when seeking flowers and 
Strawberries. 

' ' Ye boys that gather flowers and strawberries, 
Lo, hid within the grass a serpent Hes." 

Several other ancient authors mention the Strawberry, 
but all refer to it as a wild fruit, not cultivated in gar- 
dens ; but there do not appear to have been any im- 
proved varieties in cultivation until within about one 
hundred years, although the wild plants were transferred 
to gardens only in the fifteenth century, as we learn 
from works published at that time. 

Casper Bauhin, in his " Pinax,^' published in 1623, 
mentions but five varieties. Gerarde, in 1597, enumer- 
ates but three — the white, red, and green fruited. 

Parkinson, in 1656, describes the Virginian and 
Bohemian, besides those mentioned by Gerarde. Quin- 



HISTORY OF THE STRAWBERRY. 9 

tinie, in his '' Frencli G-ardener/^ translated by Evelyn 
in 1672, mentions four varieties, and gives similar direc- 
tions for cultivation as practised at the present time, 
viz., planting in August, removing all the runners as 
they appear, and renewing the beds every four years. 

Only four or five varieties are mentioned by any of 
the writers on gardening earlier than about 150 years 
ago. 

The Fressant Strawberry, mentioned by Quintinie, 
was the first seedling we find mentioned, and it was 
claimed to be superior to its parent, the wild Wood or 
Alpine Strawberry of Europe. 

The Hautbois was long supposed to be indigenous 
to America, and both Parkinson and Miller state that it 
came from this country, and the former, in his '^ Paradi- 
sus Terrestris," IG'29, says that the Hautbois had been 
with them only of late days, having been brought over 
from America. It is now known, however, that this 
species is a native of Germany, where it is called the 
'' Haarbeer." 

The Chili Strawberry was formerly supposed to have 
been introduced into South America by the Spaniards 
from Mexico; and while plants may have been intro- 
duced as stated^ still, botanists assure us that the same 
species is indigenous to both countries. This species 
was introduced into France by a traveler named Frazier, 
in 1716, but whether by seeds or living plants is not 
known. Philip Miller introduced the Chili Strawberry 
into England in 1729, but he says it was so unproduc- 
tive that he finally discarded it. He also refers to the 
irregular shape of the fruit, a characteristic of many of 
the varieties of this species in cultivation at this time. 
The varieties of the Chili Strawberry are usually 
larger and milder in flavor than those of the Virginia 



10 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

Strawberry, but the plants are rarely as liardy or succeed 
as well iu our Northern States, except in sheltered situ- 
ations. In Europe, however, the varieties of the Chilian 
Strawberry have long, been preferred to those of the Vir- 
ginian, probably on account of their large size and mild 
flavor, as most of our American varieties require a high 
temperature to develop their saccharine properties. 

No improvement was made in the Strawberry by 
European gardeners until the introduction of the 
American species, but it was not until the beginning of 
the present century that practical experiments were 
made in England for improving this fruit. In 1810 
Mr. N. Davidson raised a new variety, which was named 
the Roseberry. T. A. Knight raised the Downton in 
1816 ; Atkinson, the Grove End Scarlet in 1820 ; and 
in 1821 Keen's Seedling appeared. Knight raised the 
Elton in 1820. During the twenty years from 1810 down 
to 1830 not more than a half dozen improved varieties 
were produced in England, but Myatt soon followed 
with his British Queen, which remained the leading 
variety of that country for almost a half century. 

The French, German, Belgian, and other continental 
gardeners soon entered the field, and now the Strawberry 
has become one of the most po2:)ular fruits throughout 
Europe as well as in America. 

Although we possessed the materials from which we 
could have readily produced new and improved varieties 
of the Strawberry, adapted to our soil and climate, very 
little was attempted in this direction until long after 
the Strawberry had become popular in Europe, and even 
when it began to attract attention in this country, our 
fruit growers were content to import varieties from 
abroad instead of attempting to raise new and more 
valuable ones at home. 



SEXUALITY OF THE STEAWBERRY. 



11 



The introduction of the Hovey in 1834 proved that it 
was possible to raise large and productive varieties of 
the indigenous species, and while a few cultivators may 
be said to have taken the hint, or avail themselves of 
this discovery, the larger majority continued to import 
varieties of the Chili Strawberry only to be sadly disap- 
pointed with the result, for, with few exceptions, these 
are of little value for cultivating in this country. 



SEXUALITY OF THE STRAWBERRY. 

As the Strawberry belongs fo the Rose Family, its 
flowers should in their natural state contain both 
stamens and pistils, and they usually do, and the flowers 
are said to be perfect or bi-sexual. But when plants are 
taken from their native habitats and placed under cul- 
tivation, they often assume forms quite different from 
their natural ones. Sometimes a particular organ is 
suppressed, while others are enlarged, and thus we pro- 
duce deformities and monstrosities among almost every 
family of cultivated nlants. 




Fig. 1.— CROSS SECTION. 

The effects of stimulation or starvation, exposure and 
protection are different upon different species of plants. 
The effect of stimulation, through cultivation, upon the 
Rose proper appears to have forced the stamens to en- 
large and become jietals circling inward, and smother- 



12 



THE STKAWBEKHY CULTURIST. 



iug the jiistils, which are attached to the inside of the 
rose-like receptacle. But in the Strawberry the receptacle 
is the reverse of that of the rose, being 
conical as shown in an enlarged cross- 
section of a flower, Fig. 1. 

Every so-called seed of the Straw- 
berry has one style attached to it ; 
consequently, it is a very important 
organ, inasmuch as it is through this 
organ that the influence of the j)ollen 
reaches the ovule or seed vessel. The 
stamens are situated on the calyx, and 
they may be artifically removed or sup- 
pressed by nature, in which case we 
would have what is called a pistillate 
flower, which will produce fruit, if the 
pistils are fertilized from another flower. 
It is not important whether a flower produces its own 
jDollen or is supplied from some other source. 




Fig. 2. — PISTIL- 
LATE FLOWER. 
USUAL SIZE. 




Fig. 3.— PISiil.LAlE FLOWER, ENLARGED. 



SEXUALITY OF THE STRAWBERRY, 



13 



From some unknown cause the F. Virginiana and 
the F. elatior or Hautbois Strawberry of Europe occa- 
sionally give varieties 
in which the stamens 
or male organs are un- 
developed or entirely 
wanting, and these uni- 
sexual plants have long 
been known as pistil- 
lates; the Hovey Straw- 
beiTy being one of the 
first to attract special 
attention in this coun- 
try. Fig. 2 represents 
pistillate flower of the 
usual size, and in Fig. 3 
the same enlarged. By comparing these with Fig. 4, a 
perfect flower, and the same enlarged in Fig. 5, the 
difference may readily be seen. 




Fig. 4.— PERFECT FLOWER. 




Fig. 5.— PERFECT FLOWER, ENLARGED. 



14 THE STEAWBERRY CULTUEIST. 

These abnormal or pistillate varieties are likely to oc- 
cur aaiong the seedlings of any of the improved or cul- 
tivated varieties, and they are occasionally preserved and 
multiplied, although in no instance that has come under 
my observation have they proved to be superior to other 
varieties with perfect flowers. That they are often pre- 
served and propagated must be considered more as a 
matter of personal pride or opinion on the part of the 
originator, than a necessity or advantage to fruit growers 
in general. But so long as such im|)erfect varieties are 
disseminated, they must be recognized, if for no other 
purpose than to place the inexperienced propagator on 
his guard against planting them alone, expecting to ob- 
tain a crop of fruit. At one time it was supposed or 
claimed that these pistillate varieties were, and would 
ever remain, totally barren unless fertilized by pollen 
from some perfect flowered sort, but as the stamens in 
the pistillate varieties are merely suppressed organs, it is 
not at all rare to flnd an occasional one fully developed 
and producing pollen. Where this occurs, and it is 
frequent in such varieties as the Manchester, a moder- 
ate crop of fruit will be produced where no pollen can 
reach the flowers from any other source. But these 
partly undeveloped stamens cannot be depended upon 
for supplying the necessary amount of pollen, and where 
varieties designated as pistillates are cultivated, a perfect 
flowered one should be grown near by, or even the plants 
intermingled in the same bed or row. In cultivating a 
pistillate variety a person must set out a perfect flower- 
ed one near by, in order to obtain a crop of fruit from 
the imperfect ; or, in other words, he must plant two 
varieties to be certain of obtaining fruit from the one. 
There might be some excuse for this doubling up if the 
pistillates were in any way superior to the best of the bi- 



SEXUALITY OF THE STRAWBERRY. 15 

sexual or perfect flowered varieties, but as they are not, 
I fail to see tlie economy or advantage of cultivating 
j)istillates at all. 

When writing the first edition of this work, a quarter 
of a. century ago, I had occasion to refer to the assertion 
of certain cultivators, who claimed that the ^^istillate 
varieties when ^^roperly fertilized Avere more productive 
than tliose bearing perfect or bisexual flowers, but facts 
to substantiate the claim were then wanting, and they 
certainly have not appeared since, and it is very doubt- 
ful if any one cultivating the Strawberry extensively 
would knowingly select a pistillate in j)reference to a bi- 
sexual variety, provided both were otherwise of equal 
value. 

The best pistillate varieties in cultivation may be 
fully equal in every respect to the best bisexual or stam- 
inates, as they are often termed, but what I claim is 
that they are no better, besides being objectionable be- 
cause they must be fertilized by pollen from some other 
source than their own flowers in order to bear a crop of 
fruit. This defect in the flowers of the pistillate 
varieties makes them worthless for cultivating alone in 
field or garden, for, in order to secure a crojD of fruit, a 
pollen-bearing variety must be cultivated near by, and 
there is always more or less danger of the plants inter- 
mingling, and it can only be prevented by care and at- 
tention, while the runners are growing rapidly in sum- 
mer. There is, however, no real danger of the plants 
of different varieties intermingling, if they are placed in 
adjoining beds or rows, and the paths between kept free 
from runners; but cultivators of the strawberry are often 
negligent in such matters and mixing of varieties is the 
result. 



16 THE STKAWBEKRY CULTURIST. 



INFLUENCE OF POLLEK. 

If the small central organs or pistils of a Strawberry 
flower are not fertilized by pollen from its own stamens 
or that f<rom some other plant, they soon die away and 
no fleshy receptacle or fruit is produced. This pollen 
is an impalpable dust-like powder and yet so important 
that the production of the Strawberry is dependent upon 
its presence and potency. There must be not only an 
abundance of pollen, but it must be supplied by some 
closely allied species or variety of the Strawberry, to be 
available. Pollen from the wild or uncultivated Alpines 
or the Hautbois Strawberries will not fertilize the pistils 
of the varieties of either the Virginia or Chili Straw- 
berry, neither will the pollen of the latter two species fer- 
tilize the pistils of the former. But the Virginia and 
Chili Strawberries are so closely allied that they readily 
hybridize ; consequently, varieties of either may be em- 
ployed as the male or pollen-bearing for pistillate varie- 
ties, provided, of course, that they bloom at the same 
time, that is, the plants that are to yield the pollen and 
those to receive it must bloom together. 

There is a great difference in the potency of the pol- 
len of the different varieties of plants of the same spe- 
cies, and it is not at all rare to find bisexual plants the 
pollen of which will not fertilize their own ovaries, while 
it is perfectly potent when applied to the stigmas of 
another plant of the same species. Thus one variety of 
the Strawberry may, in appearance, have perfect flowers, 
and in the greatest abundance, and both stamens and 
pistils be fully developed, and still ninety per cent, or 
even more of the flowers wiR fail to produce fruit. In 
such instances of non-productiveness we may be quite 
certain that there is something wrong in the sexual or- 



INFLUEIs'CE OF POLLEiT. 17 

gans, but it may be very difficult or impossible to deter- 
mine what it is. 

At a very extensive exhibition of Strawberries held at 
the American Agriculturist office, N. Y., on June 18th, 
19th and 20th, 1863, I was awarded, among other prizes, 
the one offered for the '^ best flavored variety/' This 
was one of the many unnamed seedlings then growing 
in my grounds, and, although a fine fruit in appearance 
and flavor, it was utterly worthless owing to the unpro- 
ductiveness of the plants, and for this reason it was never 
distributed. The plants were hardy, blossomed freely, 
and to all outward appearance the flowers, were perfect ; 
still neither their own pollen or that from other varieties 
would fertilize the pistils except in rare instances. 
Every one who has attempted to raise new varieties of 
the Strawberry must have had a similar experience, some 
being very productive and others almost barren, and yet 
their sexual organs may have appeared to be perfect. 
With a large majority of the bisexual or perfect flowered 
varieties self-fertilization is the rule, but occasionally a 
little outside aid in supplying pollen may be beneficial, 
and in instances of this kind the raising of several varie- 
ties in close proximity will largely increase the yield of 
fruit . 

The pistils of each flower must be supplied with a 
certain amount of j)ollen from some source, else no fruit 
will be produced. If only a part of the pistils are fer- 
tilized, a deformed fruit will be the result, because the 
enlarging of the receptacle is for.the sole purpose of sup- 
porting the seeds resting upon its surface; therefore, we 
may say, no seeds, no fruit. It has been claimed by many 
vegetable j)hysiologists that the influence of the pollen 
reaches no further than the seed, but upon a close in- 
spection of the flower of a Strawberry we find that the 



18 THE STRAWBEERY CULTURIST. 

receptacle, embryo seed and all other parts are formed 
and in progress towards perfection before any pollen is 
seen, and yet, if the latter fails to do its work, or is im- 
potent, the entire structure decays, and even the fruit 
stems and their appendages wither away. In conduct- 
ing some of my earlier experiments with tlie Strawberry, 
I noticed that the influence of the pollen did extend be- 
yond the seed, for it not only caused the receptacle to 
enlarge and reach maturity but often changed its form 
and flavor. This was most readily observed when em- 
ploying different staminate or perfect flowered varieties 
for supplying pollen to the pistillates. But as in all 
similar experiments in the fertilization of the ovaries, 
the results were not uniform, showing tliat the female 
plant often exercises such a powerful influence over its 
own seed and seed-vessels as to effectually obscure that 
of the pollen-bearing or male plant. It is not to be sup- 
posed, however, that because an effect is not prominently 
apparent that it does not exist. 

In the first edition of ^^ The Small Fruit Culturist," 
1867, I casually referred to this subject of the influence 
of the pollen wpon the character of the fruit, for I had 
previously discovered that in raising the pistillate varie- 
ties, the staminate employed for supplying their flowers 
with j)ollen had more or less influence on the size and 
form of the fruit of the former. It is probably unneces- 
sary to state that tliis has been denied by many cultiva- 
tors of the Strawberry up to the present time, while 
others who have carefully experimented for the purpose 
of determining the truth, admit that the influence of 
the pollen does reach beyond the seed and is often read- 
ily seen in the changed form of the fruit. But as I have 
discussed this subject quite fully in another work,* it is 
*Propagation of Plants. 



STRUCTURE OF THE PLANTS. 19 

only necessary to say here that in cultivating pistillate 
varieties of the Strawberry, it is better to select a large 
and good flavored one to sup^jly it with pollen than one 
that is small and of inferior quality. 

STRUCTURE OF THE PLAi^'TS. 

If we closely examine the varieties of any one species 
of the Strawberry, we find that they resemble each other 
in their general habits or manner of growth. No one 
at all familiar with these plants would ever mistake an 
Alpine Strawberry for one of any other of the well-known 
species, and even the Hautbois Strawberry, which, in 
some respects, resembles the Alpines, is sufficiently dis- 
tinct to be easily recognized. There are varieties of the 
"Wood or Alpine species that produce no runners, grow- 
ing in clumps or stools ; still the foliage plainly shows 
their origin, and, as we have no hybrids between the Al- 
pines and other species, there is no difficulty in recogniz- 
ing them wherever found. But with the iS^orth and 
South American species or Virginian and Chilian Straw- 
berries the line of demarcation is not so easily deter- 
mined as formerly, because they hybridize so readily that 
their specific characteristics have become almost obliter- 
ated in the cultivated varieties. 

The Chili Strawberry in its wild state produces larger 
and milder flavored fruit than our common American or 
Virginia Strawberry, and probably ior this reason it has 
been a favorite with the cultivators of the Strawberry in 
Europe, and nearly all of the noted varieties raised 
abroad are of this species. This is why so few of the 
European varieties, as they are termed, succeed in this 
country, having descended from a semi-tropical species. 
But in recent years the European and native sorts have 
been crossed and so thoroughly intermingled that it is 



20 



THE STKAWBERRY CULTUEIST. 




Fig. 6.— VIRGINIA STRAWBERRY. 



STRUCTURE OF THE PLANTS. 



21 




Fig. 7.— CHILI STRAWBERRY. 



22 THE STRAWBERBY CULTURIST. 

only occasionally that we can detect the peculiar and dis- 
tinct characteristics of either species in the common cul- 
tivated varieties. 

In the old Triomphe de Grand Strawberry we have a 
pure descendant of the Chilian species, and in the Wil- 
son's Albany and Charles Downing, jnire native blood. 
The Wilson may be considered as a large re])resentative of 
the Wild Strawberry of the Eastern States, and the Down- 
ing of the Western or of F. Virginiana var. IlUnoensis. 
The varieties of our native species usually have long 
thread-like or wiry roots, which penetrate the soil deeply 
and spread widely in search of nutriment and moisture, 
while the roots of the pure Chilian varieties appear to be 
more fleshy, shorter and not so hard and firm. 

Another peculiarity in the form and structure may 
be observed by an examination of the old and mature 
plants. In our native varieties, like the Downing and 
Boston Pine, they appear to remain low down in the soil 
— not inclined to push above the surface — dividing nat- 
urally, as shown in Fig. 6, while the Chilian varieties as- 
sume the form shown in Fig. 7, which is an exact represen- 
tation — half natural size — of a three year old plant of the 
Triomphe de Gaud. It will be observed, by examining 
the illustration, that all of the crowns are united to the 
main or central one, with little inclination to separate 
from it. These elevated crowns contain the embryo 
fruit-buds, and the more they extend above tlie surface 
of the soil the more likely they are to be injured by the 
frosts of winter. 

Varieties of this form of root or crown soon extend so 
far above the surface that their new roots cannot, or at 
least do not, take a firm hold of the soil in sufficient num- 
bers to supply the plant with nutriment. 

There are many excellent varieties in cultivation that 



PROPAGATIOIT. 23 

are inclined to assume this form of growth, and they re- 
quire somewhat different treatment from those with 
shorter and low-spreading crowns, as shown in Fig. 6. 
When the latter are cultivated in hills or single rows, the 
soil may be drawn up against the plants as their crowns 
protrude above the surface, covering the new lateral 
roots, thereby increasing the vigor and prolonging the 
life of the plants. 

PROPAGATION. 

The three most common modes of propagation of the 
Strawberry are, viz., by seeds, runners and divisions of 
the crowns or stools. The first mode, or by seeds, is 
practiced mostly for the purpose of producing new 
varieties, but the wild plants of all the species reproduce 
themselves from seed with very slight variations, and it 
is only from the already improved varieties that we can 
expect to raise new ones of any considerable value. If, 
however, we fertilize the pistils of a wild jolant with pol- 
len from an improved one, we stand a fair chance of ob- 
taining seedlings showing an advance upon the wild or 
parent plant. However, unless there is some special 
object in view — such as extreme hardiness, or the 
adaptation of a variety to a certain soil or situation — it is 
better to save seed from the improved sorts than to go 
back or resort to the primitive or wild species for a 
supply. 

To obtain seed it is only necessary to select the ripe 
berries, and either crush the pulp and spread it out and 
dry it with the seeds, thus preserving both, or the fruit 
m^y be crushed and the seeds washed out. The sound 
good seeds will fall to the bottom, and the pulp and 
false ones remain on the surface, from which both may 
be readily removed. I have found seed preserved in the 



24 THE STRAWBEREY CULTURIST. 

dried pulp of the Strawberry remain sound and good for 
several years, and, if it is to be kept for any considerable 
time, I should much prefer to have it preserved in the 
pulp than to have it removed or washed oi?t, but the 
berries should be thoroughly dried and then put away 
in paper bags as usually practised with clean seeds. I 
have received dried Strawberries from Europe that were 
several years old, the seeds of which, when soaked and 
washed out, sprouted almost as readily as fresh ones. 

My usual practice in raising seedling Strawberries has 
been to gather the largest and best berries, then mix 
them with dry sand, crushing the pulj) between the 
hands and so thoroughly manipulating the mass that no 
two seeds will remain together. Then set away the box 
containing the sand and seed in some cool place until 
the following spring. Then sow the sand and seed to- 
gether either in some half-shady situation in the garden, 
or in pots, boxes or frames. The soil in which the seed 
is sown should be of a light texture, to prevent baking 
of the surface after watering. The seed should be 
scattered on the surface, and fine soil sifted over them 
to a depth of not more than one-quarter of an inch, or 
less than one-eighth. Apply water freely with a water- 
ing pot or garden syringe, using a fine rose in order that 
the water shall fall on the surface in the form of spray 
instead of a stream, as the latter is likely to wash out the 
seed. By keeping the soil moist the plants will usually 
appear in two to four weeks after sowing, and, if sown 
under glass or in warm weather, in less time. 

If the plants do not come up so thickly as to be 
crowded, they may remain in the seedbed during the 
entire season, but usually it is better to transplant them 
into rows in the open ground where they can have more 
room for development. All runners should be removed 



PKOPAGATIOis". 25 

the first season in order to secure as vigorous growth of 
the original plant as possible. The following season the 
plants will bear fruit, when the best and most promising 
may be preserved and the others destroyed. It must 
not, however, be expected that a one-year-old seedling 
is a fully developed plant, and for this reason it is well 
to preserve all which give promise of excellence. 

If the seed is sown as soon as it is removed from the 
freshly-gathered fruit in summer, it will sprout in two 
or three weeks, and produce plants with several well de- 
veloped leaves before the end of the season, and, if given 
protection the first winter, they will oiake a vigorous 
growth the next, and become somewhat larger plants 
than those raised from seed sown in the spring of the 
same year. It is best to give tlie seedlings some protec- 
tion in cold climates in order to secure their full develop- 
ment. 

When the plants come into bloom they should be 
carefully examined, and those with pistillate flowers — 
as these will usually be the least numerous — marked so 
that they will be known when the fruit is ripe. When 
a variety has been raised that promises to be valuable, 
the plant should be carefully lifted during rainy 
weather and set out by itself for propagation. 

The plants may be removed from the seedling bed or 
rows soon after the fruit is mature, or its character 
fully determined if carefully lifted, and then given 
plenty of water and shaded a few days after re-planting. 
It is not at all difficult to raise new varieties, but to ob- 
tain one worthy of propagation and dissemination is 
quite another matter, and the chances are not more than 
one in a thousand of obtaining a new variety from seed 
equal to the best of the old ones now in cultivation. It 
is well enough, however, for every person who has the 



26 THE steaVberry culturist. 

time to spare and inclination to experiment, to try, be- 
cause there is not only a chance of producing varieties 
better than any now in cultivation, but in addition the 
pleasure of watching one's own seedlings grow and bear 
fruit. 

Propagation by Runners. — Tiiis is the natural 
method of propagation of all the species and varieties ex- 
cept the Bush Alpines. The first runner produced on a 
plant in summer is usually the strongest and best for 
early removal, but those that are produced later in the 
season on the same runner are equally as good when of 
the same age and size. Certain theorists have, however, 
claimed that the first plant formed on a runner near the 
parent plant was naturally stronger and better in every 
way than those following or produced later, but long ex- 
perience has not proved this to be true. If the second, 
third or fourth plant should happen to thrust its roots 
into richer soil than the first one, they will become the 
larger and stronger plants before the end of the season. 
To insure the rooting of the young plants, the surface of 
the soil should be kept loose and open, and if a top 
dressing of fine old manure can be apjilied just before or 
at the time the runners are pushing out most rapidly, it 
will greatly facilitate the production of roots. 

Pot Plants. — In the last few years what are called 
^^ pot-grown plants^^ have become very popular among 
amateur cultivators, who may desire to purchase a few 
plants and have them in the best possible condition to 
insure rapid growth and early planting. To accommo- 
date this class of buyers our Strawberry growers have made 
these pot-grown or layered plants a distinct feature of 
their business. In propagating plants by this mode 
small two or three-inch flower pots are filled with rich 



propagations" by division. 27 

soil and then plunged in the ground, around the old 
stools and in such positions as will admit of j)lacing a 
young plant while attached to the runner in each, or on 
the surface of the soil in the pot so that the new roots 
will penetrate it. When the new plants have 23roduced 
a sufficient number of roots in these pots to form a some- 
what compact mass or ball of the earth within, they are 
carefully separated, the pots lifted, and either sent to 
the purchasers in the j^ots or knocked out, and each plant 
rolled up separately in a piece of paper or some similar 
material. 

Plants that have become wxll establislted in the pots in 
time for planting out early in the fall will often yield a 
moderate crop of fruit the following season, which the 
amateur cultivator may value far more highly than the 
professional who raises fruit for market. Pot-grown 
plants cost more than those raised in the ordinary way, 
and they are worth more, especially to persons who are 
anxious to test a new variety or see Strawberries ripen- 
ing in their own garden. 

PKOPAGATIOK BY DIVISION. 

This mode is seldom practiced except with the Bush 
Alpines, which do not produce runners. To propagate 
these varieties the old stools should be lifted early in 
Spring and divided, leaving only one or two crowns to a 
plant. If the old or central stems are very long, the 
lower or older part may be cut away, leaving only the 
upper and younger roots attached. In setting out again, 
the croAvn of the plant should be just level with the sur- 
face of the soil in order that new lateral roots may sj^ring 
out above the old ones on the central stalk or stem. 

In its wild state the Strawberry is found growing in 
a great variety of soils, from the rich alluvial deposits 



28 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

SOIL AI^D ITS PREPARATIOIT. 

along rivers, up to the sand hills and even bleak rocky 
ridges of Alpine regions. But as the largest species and 
varieties are found growing in the richest soils, so in cul- 
tivation Ave will ever find that large fruit, and this in 
abundance, can only be secured by supplying a corres- 
ponding amount of nutriment. New soils, free from 
VFceds and noxious insects, are certainly preferable to old, 
worn and badly infested; but as the Strawberry grower 
can seldom have his choice in such matters, he must use 
such as he has and overcome natural obstacles with arti- 
ficial remedies. A rather light soil or what would be 
called loamy soil, is preferable to heavy clay, or the oppo- 
site extreme as seen in sand and gravel. But natural 
defects can usually be remedied, for the stiff cold clay 
can be improved by underdraining and subsoiling, also 
by adding vegetable matter in large quantities. The 
main j)oiiit to be observed is to secure a good depth of 
soil with good drainage and plenty of nutriment for the 
plants. Next in importance after supplying what may 
be termed the substantial elements in the form of nutri- 
ment comes moisture, for the Strawberry plant will use 
an immense amount if it is obtainable, but stagnant 
water at the roots or a constantly water-soaked soil are 
conditions to be avoided. A soil that will allow the 
water falling in the form of rain to ])ass down through 
it in a few hours, and still hold enough in suspension to 
keep it moist for weeks, is a proper one for the Straw- 
berry, whatever may have been its original nature or con- 
dition. 

Land that will produce a good crop of corn or pota- 
toes may be considered in a fair condition for Strawber- 
rieSj provided tha,t it is not so situated as to be in danger 



SOIL AKD ITS PEEPARATIOK. 29 

of flooding during tlie time of the usual overflow of 
streams in winter and spring. But the Strawberry re- 
quires a deeper soil than corn, and this may be readily 
secured by deep plowing, or what is better, turning over 
the surface soil shallow, and following with a subsoil 
plow, and in this way avoid bringing the poorer subsoil 
to the surface. The land, if naturally hard and compact, 
should be cross-plowed in the same way, and, if manure 
is to be applied at all, let it be spread over the surface be- 
fore the first plowing, in order that it may become well 
mixed and intermingled with the soil -before the plants 
are set out, that is, if ordinary kinds of composts or barn- 
yard manure are used. When commercial manures are 
employed they are usually apjolied in the form of top-, 
dressings at the time of setting out the plants, or at va- 
rious times afterwards as the plants may show the need 
of more stimulants and nutriment. 

Manures. — The Strawberry is not so cajDricious as to 
refuse nutriment in almost any form when presented to 
its roots, but the quantity and quality may be varied ac- 
cording to circumstances. On the rich prairies of the 
Western States, or on newly-cleared land in the East, no 
manure may be necessary in order to secure a heavy crop 
of fruit, but the plants require nutriment in abundance, 
and, if it is not natural in the soil, we must place it 
there in some form. As for the kind of fertilizer to 
use, I have never, as yet, found anything to excel 
thoroughly decomposed barn-yard manure. On light, 
warm, sandy soils I prefer cow manure to that of the 
horse, as it is of a cooler nature, but if manure from barn 
yard or stables is left in the yard until it has become well 
rotted, or is composted with muck, leaves and similar 
materials, it may be used on sandy soils, and in liberal 



30 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

amounts without danger of over stimulating tlie ^olants. 
Bone dust, superphosphate of lime, sulphate of ammo- 
nia, muriate of potash, and wood ashes, may all be used 
where the land is poor or extra stimulants are needed to 
force the growth and increase the size of the fruit. 

HOW Ai^D WHEiT TO PLAi^T. 

While it is j)erfectly practicable to transplant the 
Strawberry at any and all seasons of the year — except 
when the ground is hard frozen and covered with snow — 
still there appear to be certain months during which 
this operation may be performed with less labor and 
more uniform success than during any other of the 
twelve. In warm climates, as in our Southern States, 
the best time for setting out the plants is late in the 
autumn or at almost any time during the winter, but 
the earlier the better, in order to secure the benefits of 
the cool moist weather during which the plants become 
well established and in condition for growth at the a^- 
proach of warm weather in sj)ring. But in cold cli- 
mates late fall planting will, in most instances, result in 
a total loss, as the frosts of winter will lift the plants 
from the soil and destroy them. The two seasons most 
favorable for planting the Strawberry in cold climates are 
early fall, or from the middle of August to the first week 
in September and early in the Spring. Fall planting, 
however, of the Strawberry is not generally practiced in 
the Northern States except by amateurs and with pot- 
grown plants. But in this matter of transplanting much 
depends upon the season ; if there is an abundance of 
rain during the summer, strong, well-rooted plants may 
be obtained in August or by the first of September, and 
if these are set out, and the weather continues favorable, 
they will become well established by the time cold 



HOW AKD WHEK TO PLAKT. 31 

weather sets in, and the following season make a much 
better growth than if the planting was delayed until 
spring. But favorable seasons are so uncertain that 
autumn planting is not a general practice among those 
who make Strawberry culture a specialty. 

When transplanting in the spring, the half-dead 




Fig. 8. — YOUNG STRAWBERRY PLANT. 

leaves should be removed and the roots shortened one- 
third or one-half their length. In Fig. 8 is shown a 
terminal plant on a runner as taken from the ground. 
A, the runner connecting it with the parent jolant. B, 
the tip of the runner which would have extended and 
produced, another plant had it not been checked by frost. 



32 



THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 



C — D, the cross line showing the point at which the 
roots should be cut. This pruning or shortening of the 
roots causes the production of a new set of fibres from 
the severed ends. It also causes other roots to push out 
from near the crown, and if a plant thus pruned be taken 
up in a few weeks after planting, its roots will appear 




Fig. 9. — PLANT WITH ROOTS PRUNED. 

somewhat as shown in Fig. 9. This pruning of the 
roots is not so generally practiced as it deserves to be, 
especially with plants that have been out of the ground 
for several days, or until the roots are withered or have 



SELECTIOJf OF PLANTS 33 

commenced to decay at the ends. No matter how care- 
fully the plants are taken up, some of the fibres will be 
broken off, and it is much better to sever all the roots 
with a clean cut than to plant them with ragged and 
broken ends. Roots pruned in this way are more readily 
spread out when placed in the ground again than when 
left intact or of full length. 

Selection of Plants. — Young runners of one sea- 
son's growth are best, and old plants should not be used 
for transplanting, if it can be avoided. But, if a variety 
is scarce and valuable, the old stools may* be taken up 
and 23ulled apart, and the lower end of the central stalk 
cut away as recommended for the Bush Alpines, and 
then set out again, planting deep enough to ensure the 
emission of new roots above the old ones. 

DIFFEREiq^T MODES OF CULTIYATIOi^. 

The cultivators of the Strawberry are not all of one 
opinion in regard to the best mode of cultivation either 
in the field or garden ; consequently, we hear much 
about raising Strawberries in hills, rows, matted beds, 
annual renewal systems, etc., all of which may give good 
results, with productive varieties and on rich soils. 

But different varieties often require a different mode 
of culture in order to obtain the largest yield and the 
largest berries. The large, coarse-grown varieties of the 
Chili species, or the hybrid between these and the Vir- 
ginia Strawberry, succeed best when grown in hills or sin- 
gle rows, and they are usually quite unproductive if the 
plants are permitted to run together and become in the 
least crowded. The Triomphe de Gand, Jucunda, 
Champion, Agriculturist and Lennig's White are well- 
known varieties of this type ; while others, such as 
Charles Downing, President Wilder, G-reen Prolific and 



34 THE STEAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

Manchester, will yield well either in narrow rows or 
wide beds, and where the plants become matted. 

In the "lull system"^ the plants are usually set out 
in rows about three feet apart, and the plants eighteen 
inches to two feet apart in the row. The ground is kept 
thoroughly cultivated among the plants during the en- 
tire season, and all runners removed as soon as they ap- 
pear, or at least once a week. This treatment will in- 
sure very large and strong plants, with numerous crowns 
or buds, from which fruit-stalks will push up the follow- 
ing spring. In cold climates and where the plants are 
likely to be exposed to alternate freezing and thawing, 
or to cold winds during the winter, they should be pro- 
tected by a light covering of hay, coarse manure, or 
some similar material — just enough to protect the crowns 
from injury — but not enough to prevent freezing. In 
the spring the materials used for protection may be re- 
moved, and the plants given a good hoeing or a cultiva- 
tor run between the rows to soften up the soil, which may 
have become hard and compact during the winter; but 
this cultivation in the spring will depend somewhat upon 
the character of the soil, for, if it is light and of a sandy 
nature, it will not be necessary, but it will certainly do 
no harm and may prove of great benefit to the plants. 
After the beds are cleared up and before the plants come 
into bloom, the entire surface of the ground should be 
covered with long straw or some similar material as a 
mulch to keep the soil moist and the fruit clean when it 
ripens. It is almost a waste of time to undertake to raise 
the large varieties in hills without mulching the plants, 
for the largest berries are almost certain to become 
splashed with soil during heavy rains. 

When grown in single rows the plants may be set 
about twelve inches apart in the rows, and for garden 



DIFFEKENT MODES OF CULTIVATION. 35 

culture the rows should be about three feet apart, but 
for field culture I prefer to allow a little more space be- 
tween the rows, or four feet, but the distance may be 
varied according to the habit of the plants — some of the 
rank-growing varieties requiring more room than those 
of a medium growth, but it is much better to allow the 
plants plenty of room than to have them crowded. 

During the first season the plants must be given good 
cultivation, and the more the soil is stirred among them 
the better, provided the roots are not distui'bed by the 
implements employed in this work. In the field a one- 
horse cultivator is the best implement to use for keeping 
the soil loose and free from Aveeds between the rows, 
and, while the hoe may be used early in the season to 
stir the surface about the plants, it will have to be 
abandoned later on when the runners push out, for these 
are to be allowed to take root in the row, and form a bed 
about one foot wide, and all that extend out beyond 
this may be cut off or torn up with the cultivator. Some 
cultivators allow the runners to take root over a space of 
eighteen to twenty-four inches wide, leaving just room 
enough between the narrow beds to give a path in which 
to stand in gathering the fruit the following season. It 
is doubtful, however, if any more fruit will be obtained 
from a larger number of small plants than from less but 
of a stronger and more vigorous growth, as they are more 
likely to be, if restricted to a narrow row. 

If protection in winter is necessary — and usually it is 
in our Northern States — it should be given as soon as 
the ground begins to freeze in the fall or early winter. 
If applied before the weather has become cool and the 
nights frosty, there is danger of the plants sweating and 
bleaching. Still, it is not well to delay covering up un- 
til snow falls and prevents it. 



36 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

Coarse, strong manure from the stable or barnyard, 
scattered along over the crowns of the plants, makes an 
excellent winter protection, but as such material contains 
many weed seeds, it should be employed only on beds 
that are to be plowed up. after fruiting the ensuing sea- 
son. In fact, it will seldom pay the cultivator to clean 
out an old weedy plantation, for it costs less to set out a 
new one. 

Bed or Matted System.— In this mode two or 
three rows are planted in beds four feet wide, and the 
plants allowed to cover the entire surface until they form 
a close mat or bed ; hence the name. One or two crops 
are taken and then the plants are plowed up as usual 
when cultivated in rows. But, by thinning out occa- 
sionally, the beds may be kept in a moderately produc- 
tive condition for several years, especially v/ith some of 
the more slender growing of our native varieties. Some 
cultivators, who raise Strawberries for market, adopt what 
may be called an annual system, setting out plants 
in spring either in single rows or narrow beds, giving 
them extra care during the first season, then, after the 
fruit is gathered the next summer, the beds are plowed 
up. This mode necessitates the making of a new plan- 
tation annually. On very rich soils and with the larger 
varieties — which generally command the highest price in 
market — this system is no doubt an excellent and profit- 
able one. But amateurs and others, who liave only a 
limited space to devote to this fruit, will prefer either 
the hill or row system, because, by devoting a little more 
labor to cultivation and removing the runners, the beds 
may be kept in good condition for fruiting a half dozen 
years. By an occasional top-dressing of old and well 
rotted manure, and forking in the materials used for pro- 
tecting the plants and a mulch, the soil will be kept in 



DIFFEREN^T MODES OF CULTIVATIOiT. 37 

fine condition for insuring a vigorous growth of plants. 
Old beds^ however, are usually more likely to be infested 
by noxious insects than new ones, in addition to weeds, 
such as white clover, which are difficult to eradicate 
without disturbing the roots of the plants. 

Planting. — The surface of the bed or field to be 
planted should be made smooth, level and free from 
lumps and stones. If it is uneven and there are many 
little hillocks and depressions, as are naturally left after 
plowing, the plants will follow these undulating lines, 
and some will be buried too deep and others have their 
roots exposed after the first heavy shower. 

Always choose a cloudy day for planting, and it is far 
better to heel the plants in for a few days and give them 
a little water and shade than to set them out in dry 
weather. Draw a line where you are to set a row of 
plants, keeping it a few inches above the ground, so 
that you may plant under it instead of along one side. 
Use a transplanting trowel for making holes for the re- 
ception of the roots, and these should be spread out 
evenly in all directions, or spread apart, so that they 
will lie against one side of the hole made with the trowel, 
Cover the plants as deep as possible without covering the 
crowns, and then press the soil down firmly around the 
roots. Some cultivators use a small wooden dibber for 
planting, merely making a round hole in the soil into 
which the roots are thrust all in a clump. Plants may 
live under such treatment, but careful planting with a 
trowel is far the best mode. If the weather should 
prove dry after planting, watering will, of course, be 
beneficial ; but is only practicable on a small scale, as in 
gardens, or where it may be necessary to save some new 
and choice variety. 



38 THE STKAWBERRY CULTUEIST. 

AVIiere pistillate varieties are raised for the main crop 
then every fourth or fifth row should be planted with 
some hermaphrodite or perfect flowering variety, which 
blooms at or about the same time as the pistillate. 

If the jDlants are cultivated in wide beds, then about 
every third one should be planted with some perfect 
flowering sort to supply pollen to the pistillate |)lants. 
But, as I have said elsewhere, there is no need of, or good 
reason for, cultivating these imperfect flowering varieties 
at all, and, unless one should appear better than any as 
yet known, they might all be discarded without loss to 
either cultivators or consumers of this fruit. 

To Raise Extra Large Fruit. — First of all secure 
plants of varieties known to grow to a large size, then 
plant in rich soil, remove the runners as soon as they ap- 
pear, keep the weeds down, stir the surface of the soil 
frequently, apply water as often as necessary, which will 
be at least twice a week in dry weather, also give liquid 
manure occasionally; in fact, force the plants to make a 
strong and vigorous growth. In the fall, or at the ap- 
proach of cold weather, cover the plants with hay, straw, 
or some similar material, and in the spring remove it and 
spade or fork up the ground between the rows, after 
which spread over the ground sufficient mulch to keep 
the soil moist even during the time of drought. Under 
such treatment extra large berries may usually be pro- 
duced. The cost of raising fruit by such modes of cul- 
tivation is, of course, seldom taken into consideration, 
and it really ought not to be any more than any other 
amusement devised for our own pleasure or that of our 
friends. 

Of course, it is not to be supposed that large and fine 
fruit cannot be raised without extra and expensive modes 



POT CULTURE AXD FORCING. 39 

of cultivation^ but I have yet to learn of an instance 
where ^'^ astonishing^^ large Strawberries have been pro- 
duced without a corresponding outlay in manure, labor 
and care. 

POT CULTURE AKD FORCI]N'G. 

It often occurs that Strawberries ripening out of sea- 
son are far more valuable than those maturing in the 
usual or natural season. Ripe Strawberries in mid-win- 
ter or even a month or two in advance of the crop ripen- 
ing out of doors, always command an extra price in our 
markets ; and, if a person does not care to raise fruit to 
sell, he may take pride in having them on his own table 
out of the regular season. 

It is not at all difficult to raise Strawberry plants in 
pots and force them into fruiting at almost any season 
as desired, provided a person has a greenhouse, pit or 
hot-house in which the plants may be stored and forced 
with artificial heat during cold weather. 

The plants to be forced may be of either one or two 
seasons^ growth. If strong plants are desired and such 
as will produce a number of fruit-stalks, small young 
plants should be potted in the spring, using four or five 
inch pots for this purpose. The pots containing the 
plants should be plunged in the open ground, and where 
water can be given as required, and all runners removed 
as soon as they appear, also flower and fruit stalks. In 
June or July shift the plants into eight-inch pots, using 
very rich and compact soil. A few j)ieces of broken pots 
or old sods should be placed in the bottom of the pots 
for drainage, but the ball of earth about the roots must 
not be broken when transferring from the smaller to the 
larger j)ots. Give water to settle the soil in the pots, 
then plunge the pots in a frame where they will continue 



40 THE STKAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

to grow without check until the approach of cold 
weather. 

Plants wanted for an early crop may be brought into 
the house in November, as it will take from ten to twelve 
weeks from the time they are placed in the house before 
ripe fruit can be obtained. The pots may be plunged 
in tan or some similar material in the forcing house or 
merely placed on the benches or shelves, but more care 
IS required in giving water, if the pots are exposed, than 
when plunged in tan or soil. 

If a succession of crops is desired, then only a por- 
tion of the plants should be brought in at one time. 

The temperature of the house should be only moder- 
ate at first, but increased gradually as the plants com- 
mence to grow and the fruit stems appear, when it 
should range from 65 to 75 degrees during the day and 
about ten degrees lower at night. 

The plants will be benefited if syringed or watered 
overhead once or twice a week until they come into 
bloom ; then omit it until the fruit is set, after which 
it may be continued as before. While the plants are in 
bloom, admit as much air as possible without lowering the 
temperature to a dangerous degree, and, as there will be 
neither wind or insects to scatter the pollen, it is usually 
necessary to scatter it artificially. This can be done very 
rapidly with an ordinary camel's hair brush or pencil, 
lightly touching the stamens and pistils as each flower 
becomes fully expanded. This is not necessary with 
every variety, but a larger and more uniform crop will 
usually be secured if practised on those fruiting most 
freely in the house. 

The plants that are kept for forcing later in the sea- 
son should be stored in a cold frame or pit, where they 
will remain in a dormant state until ready for use. 



POT CULTURE XlsB FORCING. 41 

Plants of one season's growth or those struck in pots 
during the summer will answer well for forcing in win- 
ter. The plants will not be as large as older ones^ or 
produce as many berries, but, as they are smaller, a 
greater number can can be forced in a given space. The 
first or earliest runners should be selected for this pur- 
pose, and a three or four-inch pot j)lunged in the ground 
underneath, or if roots have formed on the young plant 
when the pots are set in place, they may be thrust into' 
the pot and good soil filled in about them. These pot- 
grown plants should be lifted early, or about the first of 
October, and shifted in to five or six-inch pots, filled 
with very rich compost and plenty of drainage — thence- 
forward treated as advised for older stock. 

Such pot-grown plants may be fruited in the win- 
dows of an ordinary dwelling, provided the temperature 
does not fall below 40 or 45 degrees at night. The best 
varieties of the Strawberry for the purpose, however, are 
the Monthly Alpines, as they will thrive in a lower tem- 
perature than those of other species, and, with ordinary 
care, will continue to bloom and bear fruit all the year 
round. Fruit is not produced in any great abundance 
at any one season, but, the crop being a continuous one, it 
amounts to a pretty fair quantity during the year. As 
an ornamental window or greenhouse plant there iire very 
few bearing edible fruit worthy of more care or atten- 
tion than the Monthly Aljoine Strawberry. 

VARIETIES FOR PORCII^'G. 

Nearly all of the perfect flowering varieties succeed 
when forced under glass, but the largest and most jo ro- 
ll fie are to be preferred, because size and quantity are 
properties sought more than high flavors in a Strawberry 
'^^out of season. '' An eminent English authority (G. 



42 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

W. Jolmson) in referring to that subject in a work pub- 
lished some forty years ago, very truly says that " no 
plant is more certain of producing a good crop, when 
forced, than is the Strawberry, if properly treated ; and 
none will more assuredly disappoint the gardener's hope, 
after a fair promise, if he adopts the too common error 
of forcing too fast/' The Strawberry naturally blooms 
in the spring when the nights are cool and the day tem- 
perature far lower than later in the season ; consequently, 
a high temperature is neither required nor beneficial to 
plants when first placed in the forcing house. Air 
should be admitted freely during the night, and the tem- 
perature kept low until the plants come into bloom, then 
an increase of several degrees is admissible, but at no 
time is a very high temperature required. 

The larger varieties, such as Sliarpless, Miner's Pro- 
lific, Seth Boyden, Cumberland Triumph, and American 
Agriculturist, are all excellent sorts for forcing, espe- 
cially when extra size berries are an object. 

In Europe forcing the Strawberry is practised more 
extensively than in this country, but the demand for 
this fruit out of its natural season is constantly increas- 
ing, and will, no doubt, continue to increase for many 
years to come. Twenty-five years ago the Strawberry 
season in our large cities scarcely extended beyond a 
period of six weeks, but now it is nearly six months, for 
ripe Strawberries come Xortli from the G-ulf States before 
the frost has left the ground in the Northern, and before 
these two early berries reach us from the South, those 
raised by forcing houses may be found in limited quan- 
tities in our fruit stores. Of course, this early or forced 
fruit commands a high price, but those who are able and 
willing to pay for such luxuries should be, and are 
usually, accommodated. 



FOECIKG HOUSES — INSECT EKEMIES. 43 

FORCING HOUSES. 

Almost any ordinary greenhouse may be used as a 
forcing house for the Strawberry, provided it is so con- 
structed that the phxnts can be placed near the glass. 
If the plants are placed several feet below the roof or 
glass, they are likely to be drawn, as it is termed, the 
leaves and fruit-stalks growing tall and slender. Low 
houses are, therefore, better for this purpose than high 
ones, and even low-walled pits, heated by brick flues or 
earthern pipes, answer well for forcing the Strawberry. 

INSECT ENEMIES. 

Until within the past decade or two the Strawberry 
was rarely injured — at least not to any extent — by either 
insect or disease. But as its cultivation is extended it 
naturally encounters a greater number of enemies. Prob- 
ably the most destructive pest is known under the com- 
mon name of White Clru!), or larva of the May Beetle. 
There are, however, over sixty distinct species of the May 
Beetle inhabiting the United States, but, as their habits 
are very nearly the same, they may for all practical jDur- 
poses be considered as one. There is scarcely a mile 
square of good arable land in the United States that will 
not yield to the careful collector at least a half dozen 
species of LacUnosterna or May Beetles. They are more 
or less abundant in the Gulf States, and northward to 
Canada; thence westward to California and along the en- 
tire Pacific coast. These insects are usually more abun- 
dant in grass-lands, prairies, meadows and pastures than 
elsewhere, as the principal food of the grubs is the roots 
of grass and small herbs like the Strawberry. They 
sometimes become so abundant in meadows and pastures 
that, if such land is plowed up and planted with Straw- 



44 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

berries, the grub will destroy every plant almost as soon 
as it is ipiit into the gronnd. As these insects remain 
in the grub stage two or three years, they consume a large 
amount of food, and they appear to prefer the roots 
of the Strawberry to those of the common kinds of 
grasses. 

Owing to the wide distribution of these insects, and 
their almost universal presence in old meadows and pas- 
tures, these lands should be avoided whenever possible. If 
broken up and cultivated for a year or two, or until the 
grubs have passed into the beetle stage, there can be no ob- 
jection to such lands if otherwise adapted to the Straw- 
berry. The female beetles usually resort to uncultivated 
fields to deposit their eggs ; consequently they are not 
likely to become very abundant in those that are con- 
stantly kept under cultivation. 

The Strawberry worm {BinpJiytus jnaculatus) is oc- 
casionally very abundant and destructive. It is a small, 
slender, pale-green worm about five-eighths of an inch 
long, attacking the leaves, eating large holes in them at 
first, but eventually entirely denuding the plant of fol- 
iage. Dusting the plants with lime when the leaves are 
Avet with dew, or with Paris green, will usually check 
this pest. 

In Canada and some of the AYestern States an insect 
known as the Strawberry Leaf-Roller is occasionally quite 
abundant and destructive. It is the larva or caterpiller 
of a small and handsome moth, the Anchylopera fra- 
garia. It is quite probable that Paris green would be an 
effective remedy and might be safely used after the fruit 
was gathered in summer. 

There are also several species of beetles that attack 
the crowns and stalks of the Strawberry, and the com- 
mon Strawberry Crown-borer ( Tyloderma fragaria) at- 



VARIETIES. 45 

tacks the embryo fruit-stalks in the spring, thereby de- 
stroying the most important organ of the j^l^nts. The 
only remedy known is to immediately plow under the 
plants and destroy the grubs while in an immature stage. 
In my own experience, however, I have never, as yet, en- 
countered an insect enemy of the Strawberry which could 
not be readily vanquished by clean cultivation and fre- 
quent renewal of the beds on plantation. 

VARIETIES. 

What varieties to plant is one of the puzzling ques- 
tions which every inexperienced cultivator desires to 
have answered. If he consults the catalogues of dealers, 
he is certain to find that the newest and highest-priced 
variety is the one above all others that he should select. 
But if he pursues his investigations a little farther in this 
direction, and examines the lists of a dozen different 
dealers in plants, he will probably find that no two agree, 
each having some special variety to offer, as the very best 
and most j^romising one known. But as society is now 
constituted it is considered as perfectly legitimate for a 
dealer to extol his wares, even far above what their merit 
would warrant if the actual truth about them was told ; 
consequently, we are not surprised to be informed by the 
introducer of new varieties, that each and every one of- 
fered is far superior to anything of the kind heretofore 
known. ^' Yielding double the quantity of any other 
variety '' has become a stereotyped phrase in advertising 
new varieties, and yet every experienced cultivator of 
Strawberries knows that the Wilson, introduced nearly 
thirty years ago, has never been excelled in productive- 
ness. A variety, which, under the same conditions, 
would produce double the quantity of this old favorite, 



46 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

might certainly be considered something unique in the 
way of a StraAvberry. 

Strange as it may appear to the novice in fruit cul- 
ture, varieties which are most highly praised at their in- 
troduction, are quite frequently the first to disappear from 
cultivation, while others gain a prominent position in 
spite of all opposition. The Wilson, when first exhibited, 
and for years afterwards, met with opposition and was 
denounced as unfit for cultivation or use by some of the 
most prominent pomologists in the country. Yet it 
continued to grow in favor until, within the past decade 
or less, it was more extensively cultivated than any other 
variety, and probably there were more acres planted with 
it than all the others put together, and even at this late 
day it is considered a standard and j^rofitable berry. 

This variety was said to be too acid and too dark 
colored for a market berry, and the late berries on the 
plant were too small, all of which is true, but the fruit 
is very firm, withstands long carriage and rough hand- 
ling, and when it comes to filling the baskets and crates 
at gathering time the Wilson rarely disappointed the 
cultivator or consumer, who sought the markets for his 
supply of Strawberries. 

The lesson to be learned from the erratic reputation 
of the Wilson is that first impressions are not always 
trustworthy, and a variety may prove better than it 
promises when first introduced, although it must be ad- 
mitted that the chances are ten to one against the very 
best of new sorts. 

In the following select list of varieties I propose 
mentioning only those which have gained a local or 
widespread reputation for excellence, without regard to 
the length of time they may have been in cultivation. 
Pistillate varieties are indicated by the letter P. 



VAKIETIES. 



47 



Agriculturist. — Very large, irregular, conical ; with 
long neck, large specimens often flattened or coxcomb 
shape ; color light red or reddish crimson. A large and 
valuable variety for garden culture, but when cultivated 
in beds the fruit is only of medium size, as shown in 
Fig. 10. 

Bidwell. — Large, irregular, conical ; bright scarlet ; 
flesh only moderately firm ; quality excellent. A vigorous 
grower, and in hep.vy soils quite 
productive. Its reputation as a 
market variety is rather local. 

Black Defiance. — Large, ir- 
regular in shape ; dark glossy 
crimson ; flesh moderately firm ; 
high flavored. Color too dark 
and dull for market, but a good 
berry for home use. 

Brooklyn Scarlet.— Medium 
to large, regular conical with neck. 



as shown in Fig. 11 



color bright 




Fig. 10. — AMERICAN 
AGRICULTURIST. 



light scarlet ; flesh rather soft, 

sweet and rich ; quality best. 

An excellent variety for home use, but now rarely seen 

in cultivation. 

Champion {Windsor Chief, — Z'.) — Large round; 
bright crimson ; flesh rather soft and of a spicy acid 
flavor, only second best. Plants vigorous and exceed- 
ingly productive when planted in rich soils and near a 
variety yielding an abundance of j)ollen. 

Charles Downing. — Medium to large, round ob- 
tuse conical ; very regular in form ; bright scarlet, be- 
coming darker when fully ripe ; flesh moderately firm, 



48 



THE STRAWBEKKY CULTURIST. 



pink, juicy, with a rich, sprightly subacid flavor. One 
of the very best and most popular varieties in cultiva- 
tion, and now extensively cultivated for market in all 

of our Northern States. The 
plants are very hardy and 
yield a heavy crop when cul- 
tivated in rows or matted 
beds. 

Crescent. — Medium to 
large, somewhat irregular 
conical ; bright scarlet ; flesh 
rather soft for a market 
berry, but will carry well for 
a short distance ; quality fair 
but not rich ; the plants, 
however, are so productive 
that this variety has been 
called '^'^The lazy man^s 
berry. ^^ 

Cumberland Triumph (Jumbo). — Very large ob- 
tuse conical, but under high culture, or when forced 
under glass, is somewhat irregular ; light bright scarlet ; 
flesh pale pink of excellent flavor. A vigorous grower 
and very productive in strong fertile soils. Very popu- 
lar among amateur cultivators of the Strawberry. 

Downer's Prolific. — Medium, globular, light scar- 
let ; seed deeply imbedded ; flesh rather soft, acid, not 
rich, but highly perfumed . This is an old variety, but 
so very hardy and prolific that it is still cultivated more 
or less extensively for market. 

Durand. — Large, oblong or oblong conical (Fig. 
12), sometimes flattened, seeds but slightly imbedded ; 




Fig. 11. — BROOKLYN 
SCARLET. 



VARIETIES. 



49 




Fio-. 12.— DURAND. 



color scarlet ; flesh firm, solid ; nearly white, of good 
flavor. This variety has ouly a moderate local reputa- 
tion among amateurs. 

Forest Bose. — Large, ir- 
regular, obtuse conical; 
bright scarlet ; flesh firm, of 
good flavor ; a superior mar- 
ket variety, but does not suc- 
ceed well in all kinds of 
soils that are usually consid- 
ered well adapted to the 
Strawberry. (Fig. 13). 

Gleiidale. — Large, regu- 
lar, conical ; dull scarlet ; 
flesh firm, acid, not first 
quality, hut a valuable late 
variety for market. Succeeds best on rather firm soils 
and poorly on sandy land. 

Oreeu Prolific. — Large round ; pale crimson or 

deep scarlet ; seeds slightly 
sunken, rather soft, acid, 
without richness, but highly 
perfumed. A wonderfully 
hardy and productive variety; 
extensively cultivated a few 
years since for market, as it 
succeeds on a great variety of 
soils, and when left to grow 
with little or no cultivation. 
Fig. 14 shows a berry about 
„. ^„ averasre size from matted rows 

Fig. 13.— FOREST ROSE. tit 

and beds. 
Hovey (P-)- — Large conical ; bright crimson; sub- 





50 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

acid, sprightly and good. The oldest American variety 
of au}^ note, and, although it has been in constant culti- 
yation for nearly a half century, it is still popular in re- 
stricted localities, and especially 
in Massachusetts where it origi- 
nated. Three prizes are offered 
for the Hovey by the '' Massa- 
chusetts Horticultural Society" 
at its forthcoming Strawberry 
Exhibition, June 21 and 22. 

Jewell. — Very large, obtuse 

conical ; bright crimson ; very 

Fig. 14. — GREEN PRO- firm and of fine flavor. This 

^^^^^' variety was awarded a silver 

medal by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 

1880. Highly recommended for home use and market. 

Jessie. — This new variety was raised in 1880 by Mr. 
F. W. Loudon, of Wisconsin ; it is a seedling of the 
Shar|)less, and partakes of all the most desirable quali- 
ties of its parent. The originator describes the plant 
as " Q> stout, luxuriant grower, with light-green, large 
and clean foliage, which has never shown signs of rust ; 
the berry very large, continuing of good size to the last 
picking ; it is of beautiful red color, fine quality, good 
form, colors even with no white tips, and is firm enough 
for shipping great distances." From all that I can learn 
about this new variety it seems to be well worthy of 
trial 

Jucunda. — Large conical ; bright crimson, excellent 
flower ; a strong and vigorous grower on rich and heavy 
soils, but almost worthless on light or sandy soils. A 
foreign variety, first disseminated in this country under 



TAKIETIES. 



51 




JUCUNDA. 



the name of Knox's 700. It is still cultivated about 
Boston but rarely elsewhere. (Fig. 15). 

Kentucky. — Medium to large, conical ; bright scar- 
let ; flesh white, moderately 
firm, excellent flavor ; ri- 
pens late and continues m 
fruit a long time. Plants 
vigorous, hardy and very 
productive. Succeeds well 
on light soils. 

Leniiig's White. — 

Large obtuse conical; seed 
prominent and of a pink or 
light crimson color in the 
sun; fruit almost white, but 
with a delicate blush on the 
side exposed to the sun. 
TMs is evidently a seedling of the Chili sjiecies, and it 
is rather tender and unproductive, but withal an excel- 
lent variety. 

Miner's Great Prolific. — Large to very large ; 
somewhat irregular but inclining to a globular form ; 
deep bright crimson : flesh pink, firm and of good 
flavor ; plant vigorous, leaves large, light green, quite 
glossy. A very popular variety among amateurs as well 
as those who cultivate StraAvberries extensively for mar- 
ket 

President Wilder. — Medium, obtuse conical, very 
regular ; seeds yellow ; skin bright glossy scarlet ; flesh 
firm, but juicy and very high flavored. One of the 
handsomest varieties in cultivation, but the plants are 
rather delicate and the leaves burn during the hot 
weather in summer. Said to succeed well in the 'New 



52 sTHE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

England States, but I have not learned of its success 
elsewhere. 

Setli Boy den. — Very large, irregular, conical with 
long neck ; dull crimson ; flesh firm, rather dry, sweet 
and of excellent flavor ; plant, extra vigorous and pro- 
ductive when cultivated in hills and in a rich soil. One 
of the very best and most valuable of all the extra large 
varieties. 

Sharpless. — This is another of the mammoth va- 
rieties and the more remarkable because it has proved 
to be all that was claimed for it Avhen first introduced. 
Uniformly large ; often broadly wedge-form and wider 
at the top than at the calyx ; light glossy red ; flesh 
firm, juicy, rich and highly perfumed ; plant vigorous 
and productive. One of the very best. 




Fig. 16. — TRIOMPHE DE GAND. 

Triomplie de Gand.— One of the most popular 
and valuable varieties ever introduced. Very large ir- 
regular, conical, but often flattened or coxcomb shape 



VARIETIES. 53 

as in Fig. 16, -pale or bright ; flesh very firm, crop not 
rich, but of a mild and pleasant flavor. This variety 
has probably been more extensively cultivated, and given 
better satisfaction than any foreign variety, and it has 
no superior to this day for size or production of the 
plants. 

Wilson or Wilson's Albany. — An old and well- 
known variety. Large, irregular, conical ; dark crimson 
when fully ripe ; flesh crimson, very firm, acid, but good 
and bears transportation well. One of the most produc- 
tive varieties known. 

NEWER a:n^d less kkown" varieties. 

Henderson. — Said to be of the largest size, early 
and unusually productive, and of exquisite flavor. 

Indiana. — Claimed to be an improvement on the 
Charles Downing, but similar in size, color and quality. 

Lida (P). — One of Mr. Durand^s seedlings, claimed 
to be of very large size ; heart shaped ; bright red color, 
excellent flavor, and the plants very productive. 

May King.— Seedlings of the Crescent, and resembles 
its parent, but the flowers are perfect. Berries are not 
large but ripen early and are produced in great abund- 
ance. 

Old Iron Clad or Plielps. — I obtained this variety 
under the last name, and have been much pleased with 
it. Fruit medium, conical; bright crimson; firm and 
rather acid but good. Plants very productive. 

Parry. — Highly recommended for its large size, and 
has been awarded several prizes at various Strawberry 
shows in ISTew York and elsewhere. Plants said to with- 
stand droughts better than any other variety. 



54 THE STRAWBERRY CULTURIST. 

THE HAUTBOIS AKD ALPIiq-E STRAWBERRIES. 

All of tlie varieties of tlie Hautbois Strawberry [Fra- 
gana elatior) have a rather strong musky odor, which 
is rather disagreeable to most persons^ and the fruit is 
usually of a dull red or greenish color and not very at- 
tractive in appearance. They are altogether inferior to 
the varieties of other species, and for this reason are 
rarely cultivated except in the gardens of botanists. 

The Alpine Strawberry [F. vesca), on the contrary, 
is of a very mild flavor with a delicious perfume. There 
are quite a large number of varieties in cultivation in 
Europe, and, while none yield very large berries, they are 
mostly quite prolific and will thrive in cold exposed po- 
sitions where those of other species would perish. 

In the catalogues of European nurserymen and those 
who make Strawberry growing a specialty, we may find 
thirty or more varieties of the Alpine Strawberry de- 
scribed, but the larger proportion of the names used in 
these catalogues are mere synonyms, and it would probably 
be difficult to find a dozen really distinct varieties of this 
species in all Europe. There are, however, four really 
distinct varieties, all long known in this country, and 
now generally cultivated in European countries although 
under various names. These are : 

Red-Busli Alpine. — Fruit medium size, conical; 
bright red ; seeds prominent, not sunken as usual in the 
common Strawberry ; flavor mild, not highly but deli- 
cately perfumed. Plants continue bearing from June 
till checked by frosts in autumn. In rich soils the plants 
will yield well throughout the entire season. As they 
produce no runners they must be propagated by divi- 
sions. 



PROFITS OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 55 

White-Bush Alpine. — In every respect the same 
as last except the fruit is pure white. 

Red-Monthly Alpine. — Fruit very similar but 
usually a little larger than that of the Bush- Alpines, but 
plants produce runners freely, and the new plants on the 
runners bloom and bear fruit the first season, thereby 
keeping up a succession of berries from June to the close 
of the season. 

White-Monthly Alpine. — This is a variety of the 
last, but with pure white fruit. The Monthly Alpines 
with runners are elegant conservatory plants, or they 
may be used for trailing over wire screens and for hang- 
ing baskets in window gardening. 

Profits of Strawberry Culture. 

Persons who have had no exjoerience in raising Straw- 
berries, but are considering the subject of cultivating 
them for market, are usually very desirous of ascertain- 
ing in advance what the prospects are for deriving a 
profit on their proposed investment. Unfortunately, 
however, for the would-be investor in such an enter- 
prise, results depend greatly upon circumstances, such 
as available markets within a reasonable distance ; plenty 
of labor at a moderate price and at a season when need- 
ed most ; cheap lands and fertilizers, and last, but not 
least, favorable seasons. If a man must depend upoii 
hired labor to gather his fruit he is never certain, in 
these days of "'Strikes," what it is going to cost him to 
gather and prepare it for market. The most clear profit 
made in the cultivation of the Strawberry for market is 
by the small farmers and gardeners m the suburbs or 
within a moderate distance of our large cities, who have 



56 THE STEAWBEERT CULTUEIST. 

cliildren to assist in gathering the fruit or can always 
depend upon those of their neighbors to lend a hand 
when needed. An acre of Straw erries under high cul- 
tivation, with the fruit gathered and marketed in the 
very best condition, will often yield more clear profit to 
the grower than ten acres under opposite conditions. 

Circumstances have changed since the first edition 
of this little treatise was written, for at that time our 
large cities and villages were wholly supplied wdth small 
fruit by the farmers and gardeners in their immediate 
vicinity, and, if the seasons were unfavorable, the price 
of fruit advanced in proportion, and the grower was sure 
of obtaining a fair remuneration for his labor whether 
he had a large or limited crop of fruit. But all this is 
now changed, for railroads have practically annihilated 
distance in the transportation of perishable commodities 
of all kinds, and the Strawberry growers of no one local- 
ity or region of the country are masters of their own 
local markets, for those residing a hundred or even five- 
hundred miles away may become their most persistent 
and successful competitors. If a market is not fully 
supplied, and prices go up in consequence, the telegraph 
conveys the information to those who may be able to 
supply the deficiency; hence local monopolies are no lon- 
ger possible. The Strawberry season in our Northern 
cities opens with fruit from Florida, and continues until 
the last crate comes in from Maine or Canada, and yet, 
fresh, choice, large fruit usually commands a fairly re- 
munerative price in all of our large cities and villages 
throughout the entire country. 

While the profits of Strawberry culture are not so 
large as they were twenty or thirty years ago, still, they 
are sufficient to induce those who have longest made the 
cultivation of this berry a specialty, to continue in the 



PROFITS OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 57 

business. On good land, with the best and most pro- 
ductive varieties, one to three hundred dollars per acre 
profit are usually realized, which is a far greater sum 
than is generally obtained from any of the leading farm 
crops. 



INDEX. 



Page. 
Alpine Strawberry 9 

Anchylopera Fragaria 44 

Artificial Fertilization 40 

Bed or Matted System 3G 

British Queen 10 

Bush Alpine 27 

Chili Strawberry (Figured) 21 

Chili Strawberry 9 

Different Modes of Cultivation . . 33 

Effects of Root Pruning 31 

Emphytus Maculatus 44 

Fress ANT Strawberry 9 

Forcing Houses 43 

Fragaria Californica 6 

Chiliensis , 7 

elatior 7 

Indica 7 

var. Illinoensis 6 

Vesca 5 

Virginiana 6 

Grove End Scarlet Strawberry — 10 

Hautbois and Alpines 54 

High wood Strawberry 7 

History of the Strawberry 8 

Hovey Strawberry — 11 

How and When to Plant 30 

Influence of Pollen 16 

Insect Enemies 43 

Keen's Seedling Strawberry 10 

Manchester Strawberry 14 

Manures 29 

May Beetles 43 

Newer and Less Known Varieties. 53 



Pa.ge. 
Perfect Flower of Strawberry 13 

Perfect Flower, Enlarged 13 

Pistillate Flower. 12 

Pistillate Flower, Enlarged 12 

Plant with Roots Pruned 31 

Planting 37 

Pot Plants 26 

Pot Culture and Forcing 39 

Preserving Strawberry Seed.. . , 24 

Profits of Strawberry Culture 56 

Propagation . 23 

Propagation By Division 27 

Propagation By Runners 26 

Pruning the Roots 31 

Raising Seedlings 23 

Red Bush Alpine 55 

Red Monthly Alpine 55 

Roseberry Strawberry 10 

Selection of Plants 33 

Sexuality of the Strawberry 11 

Soil and Its Preparation . . 28 

Strawberry Crown-borer 44 

Strawberry Leaf -Roller 44 

Structure of Plants 19 

Temperature of Forcing House.. . 40 

The Strawberry Worm 44 

To Raise Extra Large Fruit 38 

Triomphe de Gand 22 

Tyloderma Fragaria 44 

Varieties for Forcing 41 

Varieties, Names of 45 

Agriculturist 47 

Alpine Red Bush 55 

Red Monthly 55 

White Bush 55 

Bidwell White Monthly 47 



IKDEX. 



69 



Page. 
Varieties, Names oi— continued. 

Black Defiance 47 

Bi-ooklyn Scarlet 47 

Champion 47 

Charles Downing 47 

Crescent 48 

Cumberland Triumph 48 

Downer's Prolific 48 

Durand 48 

Forest Eose 49 

Glendale 49 

Green Prolific 49 

Henderson 53 

Hovey 49 

Indiana 53 

Jessie 50 

Jewell 50 

Jucunda 50 

Kentucky 51 



Page. 

Varieties, Names of— continued. 

Lennig's White 51 

Lida 53 

May King. 53 

Miner's Great Prolific 51 

Old Iron Clad or Phelps 54 

Parry 54 

President Wilder 51 

Seth Boyden 52 

Sharpless 52 

Triomphe de Gand 52 

Wilson or Wilson's Albany. ... 53 

Virginian Strawberry 10 

Virginian Strawberry, Figured, 20 

White Monthly Alpine 55 

White Bush Alpine 55 

White Grub 43 

Wood Strawberry 9 



Alphabetical Catalogue 



0. Mi Co., David W. Judd, Pres't, 

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All Works pertaining to Rural Life. 



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American Farmer's Hand Book 2,50 

Asparagus Culture, iiex.ciotii 50 

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Brill. Farm-Gardening and Seed-Grf)wins;- 1.00 

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0. JUDD CO.'S ALPHABETICAL CATALOGUE. 5 

JUST PUBLISHED. 

A Most Valuable Work for all Botanists and Gardeners. 

ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF UARDEMf}. 

A Practical and Scienliflc Encyclopaedia of Horticulture 
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Edited by GEO. NICHOLSON, 

Assisted by J. GARRETT, in the Parts relating to Fruit, Vegetables, and 
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Vol. 1.— a to E. Vol. II.— F to O. Price, Each Volume, Post-paid, $5.00. 



The Best Book on Gardening Ever Written. 

GARDENING FOR PROFIT. 

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Entirely Rewritten and G-reat y Enlarged. 

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lUnstiated. Cloth, 12mo. Price, Post-paid, $2.00. 



The American Merino: 

FOR WOOL AND FOR MUTTON. 

A Practical Treatise on tlie Selection, Care, Breeding, and Diseases 
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By STEPHEN POWERS. 

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